Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• ZHOU, KAREN

Titel

Himalayan Hydropower: Alternative Energy in Nepal

Ist Teil von

• Harvard international review, 2011-03, Vol.33 (1), p.8-9

Ort / Verlag

Cambridge: Harvard International Relations Council, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2011

Quelle

EBSCOhost Business Source Ultimate

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world -- a quarter of its population lives on less than US$1 per day, and unemployment rates are over 40%. With a population of over 29 million, Nepal is facing an upward trajectory in energy demand, resulting in energy shortage situations where less than half of the nation's electricity needs are met. In recent years, during the coldest winter months, Nepalis have experienced power cuts for over 16 hours per day. Though the government remains in gridlock over the drafting of a new constitution, Nepal's steps for future development lie in harnessing the full potential of hydropower in socially and environmentally sensitive ways that benefit local economies. Opponents to hydropower projects point to the social and environmental impacts of dam building and river diversion in the Himalayas. A commitment to the development of hydropower can further the knowledge of and interest in sustainable development.